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My M8.2 Experience


Trivette

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For many, many years my main cameras were the M2 and M6. Unfortunately, my retirement income did not keep pace with inflation. After the digital revolution, I turned to less expensive fixed lens digital cameras. Then more recently, the X2 and X Vario were so good that they whetted my appetite for more of the film M experience. Finally, a windfall made it possible to buy a "like new" M8.2. The first time I used it was an emotional expreience. Here was a camera which felt like my beloved film rangefinders. Then the splendid images made me firmly hooked on the camera. 

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For many, many years my main cameras were the M2 and M6. Unfortunately, my retirement income did not keep pace with inflation. After the digital revolution, I turned to less expensive fixed lens digital cameras. Then more recently, the X2 and X Vario were so good that they whetted my appetite for more of the film M experience. Finally, a windfall made it possible to buy a "like new" M8.2. The first time I used it was an emotional expreience. Here was a camera which felt like my beloved film rangefinders. Then the splendid images made me firmly hooked on the camera. 

I think he will be happy with Leica M8.
I understand your situation perfectly. (I'm retired)
I recently acquired Leica M8, Leica IIIf and IIIg to learn in the forum.
Do your Leica M2 and M6 still have them? ..
a greeting
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My goal long ago was to recover my "film experience".  The M8.2 did it too well, as I found myself needing to worry about things that all my other cameras did automatically.  This is my third attempt, and I'm finally getting to enjoy the camera, not worry about how to do things.   I spent hours and hours just on the menu, trying to get it to "fit" me, or maybe vice versa.  

 

I've got lots of questions to eventually ask in this forum, but first I want to get more familiar with the camera.

 

I hope you're as happy with yours, as I am with mine!

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I'm very comfortable using it, although sometimes I forget that it is a rangefinder and try to set the (nonexistent) focusing mode.  :lol: It is also great for IR photography, since it is very sensitive to IR, and unlike SLRs and mirrorless cameras, the viewfinder is independent of the IR filter. It is no more difficult to shoot IR handheld than normal color or B&W photography.

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It is also great for IR photography, since it is very sensitive to IR, and unlike SLRs and mirrorless cameras, the viewfinder is independent of the IR filter. It is no more difficult to shoot IR handheld than normal color or B&W photography.

 

Very well put, that's one (among many) great attributes of the M8. I have an M240 now, but my M8 lives on for both its black and white presentation and (especially) its IR capabilities.

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Am 27.8.2018 um 06:44 schrieb Trivette:

For many, many years my main cameras were the M2 and M6. Unfortunately, my retirement income did not keep pace with inflation. After the digital revolution, I turned to less expensive fixed lens digital cameras. Then more recently, the X2 and X Vario were so good that they whetted my appetite for more of the film M experience. Finally, a windfall made it possible to buy a "like new" M8.2. The first time I used it was an emotional expreience. Here was a camera which felt like my beloved film rangefinders. Then the splendid images made me firmly hooked on the camera. 

M2 + M6 = M8.2 📷

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On 9/26/2018 at 3:17 AM, MikeMyers said:

My goal long ago was to recover my "film experience".  The M8.2 did it too well, as I found myself needing to worry about things that all my other cameras did automatically.  This is my third attempt, and I'm finally getting to enjoy the camera, not worry about how to do things.   I spent hours and hours just on the menu, trying to get it to "fit" me, or maybe vice versa.  

 

I've got lots of questions to eventually ask in this forum, but first I want to get more familiar with the camera.

 

I hope you're as happy with yours, as I am with mine!

I bought my M8u for the same reason, I tried fuji’s Offerings but was never happy. This caused me to start using my M3 and M6 again just so I could set the aperture on lens, set the shutter speed and focus ( pure photography ). The M8u gave me this with the convenience of digital images the only problem is it started my Leica buying and collecting again and finished up getting a M9 for the convenience of full frame. 

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In some ways manual operation can be simpler than automated. I may use one part of a scene (not necessarily the subject) to set the exposure (taking into consideration the desired depth of field and possible motion of the subject or camera) and set the focus using another part of the scene (the subject). For me, this sort of procedure feels unnatural on a camera designed primarily for autofocus and autoexposure. Of course, when one is in a hurry to get off a lot of shots, full automation can be a blessing. However, I usually prefer to take my time with each shot, which became habitual from using film for most of my life.

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OMG! Lightning has struck twice. I’ve returned to the ranks of Leica with an 8.2 (again!).

Not to make this about me...

To the op, after far too many digital cameras, both Leica and others, I find myself returning to the ONE body the results of which made me smile more than any other. I entered MF ranks with an S but ditched it for a full-on tech cam and a basketful of Rodenstock lenses. I never captured a single image I felt was worth printing. And perhaps the fault lay with me. At least with the S I had acceptable success. And I also shot a good deal of film with the tech and still...nothing. I took stock of the images i’ve framed which adorn the walls of my house. Over half were made with an M8 or M8.2! 

There were other reasons to return to Leica and I suppose creeping age had something to do with it. I sold the tech cam and all my Rodies because I got no satisfaction from the images and I became totally dis-illusioned with dragging all that heavy, bulky equipment. I started photography in 1960 with a 6 x 6 point & shoot. It was as simple a rig as you could get. For me, in this digital age the M8 line is about as simple as it gets. And that is all I want or need.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Yeah ... but M2 and M6 belong to a different "class" then M8. The statement would be somewhat analogous to 6.0 + 2.0 = 8 (assuming that analogue process corresponded to "reals" and digital to "integers.")  Doubtless, some mathematicians might find that equivalence problematic.

For laughs.

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